Best piece of breastfeeding advice you were given?

[RubyWoooo]

As it says on the tin, really. What was the one golden bit of advice you were given?

Looking for some nuggets of wisdom after miserably failing with BFing DD. Second DC due in a few days.

Thanks in advance

My friend struggled on bf for weeks. In the end she said "it's me or him," and stopped. That always stuck with me. If it doesn't work out then it doesn't work out. Your needs are equal.

It does get better it really does. I had to make myself believe this as my baby has posterior tongue tie and feeding really hurt but I'm still feeling her at 17mo but now pain free. Just get through one feed at a time and remember they won't always feed a million times a day.

First few days boobs full of milk. The lovely lady in charge of the nursery showed me that DS1 couldn't breathe and feed if I held him 'normally'.
She tucked his body under my armpit so that he was under the boob (I was just like a rugby player running with the ball) DS could breathe and feed and we could gaze at each other - for hours!!! Best feeling ever.

Have a cushion/ blanket handy.
Given by amazing midwife when my milk came through and my nipples were so dry and cracked they looked like I'd used a power sander on them. And every time dd latched on it felt like i'd stuck my boob into an industrial salt grinder. And she fed constantly so no chance to heal. Hence stick towel in mouth and bite/ squeeze in hand like pain relief at an olden days amputation. ( and so I don't put you off it was only a very short period it was painful for)

Absolutely second www.kellymom.com. Breastfeeding with DD1 didn't go well, so when I was pregnant with DD2 I used it to work out what had gone wrong with DD1 and solved the problem myself. Breastfed her for 14 months (stopped when pregnant with DC3 by mutual consent).

Best advice I got was be kind to yourself. If it doesn't work out it's not the end of the world. Formula is bloody good stuff these days. You do what you need to do.

Sorry. When I said 'every 2 hours' I meant AT LEAST every 2 hours in the early days. My Ds1 was sleepy and I thought that meant he wasn't hungry.

If in doubt, feed the baby!

Yy to KellyMom, amazing resource. Also the breastfeeding network has great information leaflets on medications and breastfeeding.

I find it helps to remember that babies breastfeed for a myriad of reasons - hunger, thirst, wanting closeness, when they're feeling sick/scared/anxious. Takes away the "they can't be hungry again" feelings.

Good luck, stock up on some numbers for good BF support and enjoy your new baby

www.breastfeedingnetwork.org.uk/detailed-information/drugs-in-breastmilk/

Get to a breastfeeding support group every week to help you through the highs and lows!

Take it one day at a time, don't think too far ahead.

Get a lovely breastfeeding pillow! I have one - it wraps around me which means i have both hands free for MNing, phone and grabbing things when I've left them on one side! Also my back feels loads better since using the pillow. It makes the rugby ball hold much easier!
If you are wanting to go back to work, start pumping when your milk is in and offering baby a bottle (once the latch is established!). My DS is 7 weeks old and I am free in the mornings to go see my horse whilst DH bottle feeds (I'm only gone a couple of hours).

I also love kellymom.com

Lanolin is fab, but ypur own breast milk is also a fantastic healer of sore nipples!

Holy shit! Look at all these replies. Never expected that. You guys are fucking amazing. Thank you so much. I'm going to read this over and over again. Thank you for taking the time, it really does mean a lot.

Eat oaty things and drink gallons of water.

Dont be self conscious about feeding in public and ignore headlines about people being stopped feeding- it's really discreet usually and irrelevant if anyone gets a flash! I got lots of positive and helpful comments and no negativity. Lots of people are oblivious to bfing and will help get water/ manoeuvre pram if you ask.

*Lexigrey

While in hospital, every time your baby feeds call a nurse/midwife to latch them on for you.* Definitely second this advice... DS initially fed fine but seemed to forget how to latch and newborns are surprisingly strong so I needed help getting him on my boob as he was fighting me!

Also don't be afraid to try the rugby ball position - I've got big boobs and it made feeding easier... a pillow at the side of me helped raise DS up saving me arm ache. And the advice about getting them to latch on doesn't always work... sometimes you just have to squish ypur nipple and force it in their mouth before they realise what they need to do!

Good luck!

Ignore every piece of Negative advice (looking at you in laws).

If on FB Im always inspired by Meg the Milk pages. I had to mix feed as I didn't have full supply due to breast surgery, I changed my goal to feeding as long as I could rather than exclusively. Still going 2.5yrs later.

Get someone who knows what they're talking about (LLL, lactation consultant) to check for anterior and posterior tongue-tie. Do not trust the hospital paediatrician if they say it's OK bitter
And get it snipped asap if your baby has one - it's worth going private, and every day counts. Be as pushy as you need to get an appointment.

Use lots of Lanosoh, it's easier to rub on when warm so keep it on top of the radiator.

As with lots of previous posters, "if in doubt, feed"!

Also don't worry if milk/colostrum quantities are miniscule to start with - I was expressing into syringes when DD was very small and it was a scary small volume. But she fed a lot, and my milk came in at four days, and all was well.

Oh and YES to pp who mentioned squishing your boob! I have biggish boobs and squishing them flat (like a burger) made latching DD much easier when she was very small.

Learn to breastfeed lying down. Safe co sleeping saved my sanity during all night clusterfeeding sessions. DS had a crib attached to the bed with the side down, so I never had to actually get up. I also found a sling to be really useful; by the time he was 6 months old, I was happily feeding him on the go, whilst walking around a busy shopping centre.

Yeap, just feed feed feed, and take it a day (or even a feed) at a time. Lanolin all the time in the early days. Ok learn to feed lying down - I never did with DC1, but it's saved me with DC2.

Oh, and pumped amount of milk is no indication of what your baby manages to get out.

Work out what breastfeeding support is available in your area before the birth (in case you need it after being discharged from hospital.) I'm so thankful to the breastfeeding clinic experts who provided advice just when I needed it.

Good luck! I hope it all goes well.

Expect to feed hourly for the first 6 weeks.

It was NCT advice and we all
Sat there open mouthed going every hour for 24??!! but, it's often true and we were prepared. I've seen so many women think they were doing something wrong because baby has needed constant feeding.

The best advice I would give is to find a lactation consultant / breastfeeding advisor that gets good reviews and comes recommended then ignore everyone else including midwives etc at the hospital.

I was in hospital two nights after DD was born and she struggled to latch on, the variety of differing advice I was given as shifts changed was ridiculous and it has continued with the community midwives and health visitors. As an example, one midwife told me it doesn't really matter if they don't feed in the first 24hrs, babies are tired and might not be interested straight away to another midwife saying if she doesn't feed within 3hrs of being born we'll give her formula. The first community midwife that visited on day 1 also advised not to let DD latch longer than 20mins on each side as the good stuff will be gone which is clearly a ridiculous comment on day 1!

For a first time mum the variety of advice was overwhelming and by the time I left hospital I was in tears, we saw a private lactation consultant the next day who had been recommended to us and she's the only reason I'm still BF. I'm now quite happy to nod and smile at health visitors BF advice!